Tack-claw.



No. 742,284. PIATEN-TED 0GT.27,1903.

W. G. BROWNE.

TACK CLAW. 7 APPLICATION IILED MAB.- 1903- NO MODEL.

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' No. 742,284. I I Patented October 27,1903.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. BROWNE, OF'KINGSTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE W. e. BROWNE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF KINGSTON, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TACK-CLAW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,284, dated October 27, 1903. Application filed March 4, 1903. Serial No. 146,064. (No model) 1'0 all whom it mag concern: imparts to the device itsadaptability for and Be it known that 1, WILLIAM G. BROWNE, capability of performing the functions herea citizen of the United States, residing at inafter set forth.

Kingston, in the county of Ulster and State The handle A consists of a metal shank a,

5 of New York, have invented certain new and a wooden grip b, and a ferrule 'c, reinforcing useful Improvemeuts'inTack-Glaws,of which the end of the latter. The shank a at its the following isa specification, reference be lower end is provided with a downwardlying had therein to the accompanying drawprojected fulcrum d, the bearing-surface of ings, which form a part. thereof. which extends transversely of the said shank.

to My invention relates to tack-claws espe- On the upper face of said shank I form an cially adapted for drawing carpet and matabutment or shoulder e, the portion of the ting tacks. shank below the said shoulder presenting a The object of my invention is to provide a plane surface to facilitate the attachment of tack-claw which is capable of drawing both the claw-plate. Directly above the said ful- I5 the ordinary headed carpet tack and the crum d1 providea rolling fulcrumf, the arc of double -pointed matting-tack, which when which is of a radius to contact with the floor first applied to a tackof either description and vary the leverage slightly when the tack I will present no sharp edges down wardlyto cut is partly withdrawn, and thus thrust the claw into the carpet or matting, which when the slightly forward toward the end of this opera- 2o lever-handle is forced downward will act to tion and also avoid the bending of the tack. 7o thrust the claw proper slightly forward in a Mounted on the shank 0. below the shoulmanner to firmly engage the tack and preder 6 is an angular plate comprising the sides vent the bending thereof, and which will be 9 and g, extending at an obtuse angle to each comparatively inexpensive to manufacture other of a degree to cause the lower edge of 25 and durable and efficient in use. the side g to terminate on substantially the The invention consists in the novel feasame plane as the bearing-surface of the fultures of construction hereinafter set forth crum d. This plate is of hardened material, and described, and more particularly pointed as steel, to give it the required rigidity and out in the claims hereto appended. strength. The lower face of the side g is 0 Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a beveled away, as at h, to present downperspective view of a tack-claw embodying wardly a flat horizontal surface when it and my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation the fulcrum d are simultaneously pressed thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the against a flooring or covering thereof, and to lower portion thereof, illustrating the appliform a thin edge on the plate to facilitate 3 5 cation of the claw to the ordinary headed its insertion beneath the head of atack. The 8 5 carpet-tack. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing outer end of the side g is reduced laterally the application of the claw to the ordinary in width and the reduced portion is slotted double-pointed matting-tack; and Fig. 5 is an centrally, a slot '0' of gradually decreased enlarged side elevation of the said lower porwidth preferably being made to form the 0 tion, illustrating the mode of operation of the claws j j. The outer sides of these claws are claw which prevents the cutting into the car- -parallehor substantially so,to a'point approxi- It pet or matting. mately conterminous with the slot 4., and Like letters refer to like parts throughout above this point the width 9f the claw-plate the several views. is gradually increased, so as to impart there- 5 My tack-claw comprises, broadly, a leverto the requisite weight and strengthto with- 5 handle A and a claw-plate B, secured to' the stand the strain occurring ata point adjacent lower end of said handle A-a general arto the fulcrum-points d and f.

rangement well known in this art-the in- The parts of the tack-claw are assembled Vention residing in that particular construcin the following manner, the various ele- 50 tion and arrangement of these elements which ments having been finished separately: The

.head of the tack.

shank at is first affixed to the grip Z), or, if desired, these parts may be made entirely of metal and in a single casting. The clawplate Z) is then attached to the shank a, preferably by rivets, the shoulder 6 serving as a guide to regulate the adjustment of this plate,and thereafter by preventing movement thereof, either vertical or rotary, to prevent a shearing strain on the bolts and an instability while in use.

The operation of the tack-claw is substantially the same whether it is used in drawing aheaded tack, as shown in Fig. 3, or adoublepointed tack, as shown in Fig. 4. In either case the fulcrum cl and claws jj are simultaneously brought to bear upon the flooring or the covering therefor close to the head or cross-head of the tack, and the thin edge of the said claws is inserted beneath the same and forced thereunder, the slight wedging effect produced by the pitch of inclination of the side g serving merely to start the tack sufficiently to insure a firm grip thereon by the claws. The lever handle A is then pressed downward, oscillating upon the fulcrum d. The initial movement of the claws 7' 7" is insufiiciently diverted from the vertical to bend the tack, and as the lcver-handle descends the rolling fulcrum f contacts with the floor, and subsequent movement is with this as a center. This varies the leverage to an extent to ease up the latter portion of the operation and also has a tendency to thrust the claw forward sufficiently to compensate for the slight rotary movement of the said claws. Hence the movement of the claws will be substantially vertical throughout the operation. WVhen the claw is tf'sed to draw the ordinary headed tack, the point passes into the slot 2' and the claws j j engage the WVhen the claw is used to draw a double-pointed tack, both clawsjj pass directly beneath the cross-head whichthey engage. In either case the mode of operation of the claw will be seen to be substantially the same.

It will be observed that by reason of the horizontal surface presented b 1 the beveled portion 72. and the horizontal alinement of this surface with the bearing-face of the fulcrum d the depression of the claws to admit of the insertion thereof beneath the tack does not result in the presentation downwardly of a sharp edge against the flooring, carpet, or matting and that therefore the tack-claw cannot out these in Withdrawin g tacks therefrom. It will also be observed that the adaptability of the claw to use for both headed and donble-pointed tacks, as above described, is accomplished without rendering the device on mbersome or sacrificing its appearance or strength, sufficient metal being employed at those points where the greatest strains occur to withstand such.

It is not myintention to limit the invention to the precise details of construction heretofore described, as it is apparent that these details may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is-

1. As a new article of manufacture, a tackclaw comprising a lever-handle having a downwardly-projected fulcrum at its lower end and a claw-plate consisting of an angular plate the sides of which are respectively secured to said handle and projected downwardly and forwardly, said last-mentioned side being laterally reduced toward its outer end and slotted-centrally of this reduced portion and beveled on the under side thereof on substantially the same plane as the bearing-face of said fulcrum.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a tack claw comprising a leverhandle having a downwardly-projected fulcrum at its lower end and a rolling fulcrum above said firstmentioned fulcrum, and a claw-plate consisting of an angular plate the sides of which respectively are secured to said lever-handle and projected downwardly and forwardly, said last-mentioned side being laterally reduced toward its outer end and slotted centrally of this reduced portion and beveled on the under side thereof on substantially the same plane as the bearing-face of said fulcrum.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a tackclaw comprising a leverhandle having a transverse shoulder near its lower end, a downwardly-projected fulcrum at its lower end, a rolling fulcrum above said first-mentioned fulcrum, and a claw-plate consisting of an angular plate, the sides of which respectively are secured to said lever-handle adjacent to said shoulder, and projected downwardly and forwardly, said last-mentioi1ed side being laterally reduced toward its outer end and slotted centrally of this reduced portion and beveled on the under side thereof on substantially the same plane as the bearingface of said first-mentioned fulcrum.

In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature, this 25th day of February, 1903, in the presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM G. BROWNE.

Witnesses:

V. B. VAN WAGoNEN, GEORGIOE SNYDER.

IIO 

